Baldwin County Commission votes to pay court reporter 14 months of back pay

Attorney Mike Dasinger and court reporter Phyllis Hoiles Shiver listen as the Baldwin County Commission talks about whether to pay her more than $39,000 in back pay at Nov. 13 work session.

BAY MINETTE, Alabama -- The Baldwin County Commission voted 3 to 1 today to pay a court reporter 14 months of back pay rather than the roughly six years worth that she was seeking.

Phyllis Hoiles Shiver wanted the $39,099.98 that she did not receive between July 1, 2006, to April 1, 2012. Shiver will have to agree not to file any legal claims against Baldwin County to get the $7,933.33 three of the four commissioners voted to pay her.

Commissioners Frank Burt Jr., Bob James and Charles Gruber voted in favor of the motion to pay Shiver part of the money. Commissioner Tucker Dorsey voted against it.

Dorsey, the commission chairman, said at a work session last week that he thinks the county is obligated to pay Shiver all the money.

Burt, James and Gruber said they would support giving Shiver some of the money based on advice from David Conner, the county attorney, during the work session.

"In this case, you have the non-claim statute that says for county government you have to present your claim within one year — a notice of claim in writing from the date of accrual," Conner said last week. "If the court were to apply the non-claim statute here ... then you would be only be required to pay for the 12 months."

Court reporters for circuit judges in Baldwin County receive a $6,800 annual supplement from the county. Shiver is the court reporter for Circuit Judge Carmen Bosch.

In February, Bosch wrote the commission a letter that said Shiver was not getting the supplement.

Bosch has said that she did not know until earlier this year that court reporters were paid a supplement. She also said Shiver did not know.

After county officials were made aware that Shiver was not getting the $6,800, the approval was given for her to get it. An action by the commission was not needed.

In May, Bosch wrote the commission another letter asking about back pay for Shiver.